At almost every stage in life, you need to answer three crucial questions.  How you answer them will influence the arc of your life for decades to come.  What are they?

1) Where do I want to live?

2) What do I want to do?

3) Who do I want to do it with?

Think back to the previous times in life when you answered those questions.  Maybe it was when you were heading off to college or entering the workforce.  Maybe it was when you got married and started a family or maybe it was when you had a career change.  Knowing what you know now about how each decision shaped and influenced your life, can you see how important your answers were?

As you plan for and enter retirement, it’s time once again to ask and answer “The Big 3.”  Block off some time on your calendar to think – and I mean really think – about those questions.  How you answer them will largely define how you spend the final third of your life.  And if you feel like sharing what you come up with, post a comment below.  It might just serve as insight or inspiration for the rest of us.

When do you plan on retiring?